Simon Moullier Forthcoming Album “Elements Of Light"

Today vibraphonist-composer Simon Moullier has announced his new album, Elements of Light, to be released September 20th the legendary Candid Records label. The album features Moullier’s remarkable quartet along with special guest appearances by Gerald Clayton and Marquis Hill.

Pre-Order / Pre-Save “Elements of Light” HERE

Watch '808' NYC Live Session HERE

Clayton gave Moullier deeply meaningful lessons when the vibraphonist was a student at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz (then still the Monk Institute). Reflecting on this casual mentorship today, Moullier’s appreciation remains palpable. “He was incredibly helpful, in a very grounded way,” he says, adding that the lessons were not only about music, extending into more general wisdom about creative direction and life decisions. The track is one of the album’s most interesting, and unusual: a vibes-piano-drums trio performance, with Moog synth bass played by Moullier added in post-production, and with an acoustic drum sound heavily indebted to drum-and-bass.

“As I was writing this song, it felt like I was holding a life line that I couldn’t let go of, & following the melody wherever it leads me. Trusting it,” Says Moullier. “Unlike some of the previous songs that were built on a drum or percussion beat, the architecture of this one was created first on the melody. I wanted to experiment with a different instrumentation on this one, and we searched for tighter/ shorter sounds on the drums- almost to create a computer impression. Gerald’s playfulness, fluidity and melodic lines really elevated this track and was very much in sync with Jongkuk’s style of playing. We recorded without bass, just the three of us (piano, vibes & drums). I decided to add a Moog Bass only later in the post production.”

Moullier is part of a new generation of Candid Records artists who have come to the label via Candid A&R consultant Terri Lyne Carrington. The recently relaunched label - which already has 4 Grammy wins to its credit since 2021 - is building on its legacy as one of the most storied and influential American independent labels of the 1960s. More info on the new Candid Records HERE

About Elements Of Light

Elements of Light isn’t “crossover” jazz or “jazz-adjacent”; rather, it is a personal and original expression of a tradition Moullier inherited from his heroes. “What really influenced me is the language of horn players and singers and piano players,” says Moullier, who goes on to name Trane, Bud Powell, Bird, Sonny Stitt and Cannonball, among others. “And that’s the language I’ve always tried to reproduce on my instrument .”

“To move forward, it helps to first go backwards in time,” he adds. “It has always helped me in shaping new writing, because I feel like the architecture of the tunes back in the day was so clear. There’s a reason standards are a common language for our entire community: They allow us to communicate with each other and have a platform on which to expand.”

Throughout Elements of Light, Moullier reconciles his abiding love for midcentury acoustic jazz with inspired production choices more often put to use in pop and alternative rock. So you’ll hear Real Book-worthy tunes of remarkable craft and efficacy — with vibraphone and piano melodies that are subtly reinforced by synthesizer. “I really love the sound of piano and vibes together — how the texture creates a third instrument,” Moullier says.

"Elements of Light" Tracklist:

VINYL LP

SIDE A

1. 808

2. Pyramid Of The Sun

3. Bird Of Paradise

4. Lotus (ft. Marquis Hill)

SIDE B

1. Elements Of Light (ft. Gerald Clayton)

2. Jiwa

3. Primavera

CD & STREAMING

1. 808

2. Pyramid Of The Sun

3. Bird Of Paradise

4. Primavera

5. Elements Of Light (ft. Gerald Clayton)

6. Jiwa

7. Olympus

8. Lotus (ft. Marquis Hill)

9. Oriental Folk Song